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CHAPTER 5: Years
Despite the distance, John and Steve managed to keep their relationship strong. When the time came, Steve headed off for university himself, choosing to do journalism in Birmingham. With John on a law course, the time they got to spend together began to diminish, but when they did meet, the electricity was always there. Both men headed for London at the end of their university lives, setting up in a flat in Camden. John, who had graduated with a first class degree, was quickly snapped up by a prestigious law firm, whilst Steven moved between several journalism jobs. With a talent for photography, he soon went freelance, making a name for himself as a hard-hitting social commentator. He eventually took to writing and photographing for his own books, the most notable of which was a study of youth life on the council estates of Euston. John, meanwhile, started raking in the money, but soon tired of the long hours and depressing cases he seemed to get. He quit his job, and, after several false starts, made a fortune with his own internet-based legal advice company. John and Steve continued to live together, to love each other, and with the new adoption and parenting laws in the UK in the 21st century, they were able to adopt two young orphans from Bolivia.
Mark and Wendy made it most of the way through their final year at school, but both soon felt the desire to meet other people. Their split was amicable, and they remained friends through and beyond their university years. Jess took to a life in medicine, becoming a talented paediatrician in Nottingham. She settled into married life with a civil engineer, eventually raising three children, one of whom came out as a lesbian when she was 17. Linda continued to eat up men in Basingstoke, but eventually set up her own salon and married a policeman.
Dave, once free of Kevin, made lots of new friends, particularly on the club circuit. He did the rounds in the local clubs, and eventually played a large part in introducing a gay night at the Basingstoke Palais. He married a fellow DJ when he was 30, and settled in Ibiza. Kevin got involved with the local British National Party, but eventually left to join the army. He was dishonourably discharged after three years, having been caught in Gibraltar ‘doing a George Michael’. He returned to England, and eventually found a boyfriend in the shape of a bouncer at G.A.Y. He took up working as a labourer, which led to a chance encounter at a house in Fulham some years later.
“Kev?”
“What? Oh, boss, I mean John, it’s you.”
“Blimey, last I heard you had joined the army.”
“Yeah, well, that didn’t work out” Kev muttered.
“Yeah, bloody idiot tried to jerk off some copper in a bog in Gibralter, didn’t he” shouted one of Kev’s fellow builders.
“What? Kev, you mean you’re dodgy?”
“I, er…”
“Shit. And after all that…”
“Listen boss. I’m really sorry. I guess I was just, well, you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So, are you still with Carter” asked Kevin jokingly.
“Steve. Yes, I’m still with Steve.”
“Shit! I guess I never realised. Shit.”
“Anyway, I have to go and pick up the kids from school.”
“The kids?!”
“Yeah, we have two – Maria and Ricky.”
“But…how?”
“Adoption. Look, I have to go. I’ll see you round.”
As John walked away, he felt a smug grin forming on his face. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. He had always wondered about Kevin, given his ridiculous reaction to it all in Basingstoke, but now he found out he had been cottaging. Stevie, Linda and the gang were gonna have a field day with that one. He chuckled to himself, and carried on towards the school.
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